Official launch of All.Can Greece and presentation of Greek All.Can Patient Survey results at a special press conference in Athens on April 10, 2019
All.Can Greece initiative has been officially launched at a highly successful special press conference, held in Titania Hotel in Athens on April 10, 2019 which also included the presentation of the All.Can Patient Survey results.
Representatives of the political world, the medical community, the pharmaceutical companies and the media attended the conference. During the conference, many oncological stakeholders including patient and research associations, universities, and professional societies as well as funding and knowledge partners expressed their willingness to contribute constructively to the improvement of efficiency in all stages of cancer care in Greece through their participation to All.Can Greece.
Members of All.Can Greece introduced the scopes of both All.Can International and All.Can Greece. They highlighted the mission and vision of the All.Can Greece towards a more effective and patient-focused cancer care, an improvement of efficiency of healthcare spending of available cancer care funds, as well as the creation of clusters that will be able to face the challenges of oncological care.
Kathi Apostolidis, President of Hellenic Cancer Federation – ELLOK and President of the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) stressed out that the All.Can Greece initiative offers a great opportunity for the beginning of a constructive, equal and open dialog platform among oncology stakeholders that will decisively contribute to the mitigation and gradual elimination of inefficiencies of health care system. Dialog and exchange of views among cancer stakeholders will promote and improve oncological care.
Nikos Tsoukalas, member of Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology mentioned that creation of clusters and collaboration will be the key for oncological care improvements, while George Pissakas, President of the Hellenic Society of Radiotherapeutic Oncology noted that fighting cancer is a multifaceted and multisided effort.
John Yfantopoulos, Professor of University of Athens, Michael Nikolaou, member of Hellenic Group of Young Oncologists and Eleni Patsea, Vice-president of Hellenic Society of Pathological Anatomy, highlighted the potential of All.Can Greece as a prominent policy advisor that will enhance and improve all stages of oncological care in the country through the expertise and the specialization of its current members.
Professor Athanasios Vozikis, Lab of Health Economics and Management of University of Piraeus, underlined that the structural weaknesses of the public healthcare system imperil not only the current cancer patient’s health status but also our willingness to offer technological advanced and innovative care to the next generations. The current health care inefficiencies and the consequent need to address them was also the focus of the lecture of Irini Throuvala, member of Hellenic Nurses’ Association.
The press conference also included the presentation of All.Can Patient Survey results that had taken place from December 2018 to February 2019. The survey clearly showcased cancer care’s main inadequacies and inefficiencies, including results from 640 respondents who answered questions concerning their cancer care and treatment experiences as well as the psychological, social and financial repercussions they have suffered after the initial diagnosis.